Editor's Note: Ten years ago this week, Auburn pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in college football history to beat Alabama 28-27 and keep the dream season alive. Each week, we'll be taking you back in time to relive the journey to the 2010 national championship.
Auburn faced adversity throughout the 2010 season. The Tigers trailed 17-3 at halftime against Clemson. They were down two scores the next week to South Carolina. But this team always found a way.
However, the adversity Auburn had faced along the way paled in comparison to what it was facing in Tuscaloosa against No. 11 Alabama. Midway through the second quarter, it was 24-0. The offense had punted on each of its first four drives. The defense hadn't been able to stop anybody. And the hostile crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium could smell blood. They knew what was at stake.
How would the Tigers respond? The same way they had all year.
"It's a special thing to be down 24-0, and nobody's panicking," wide receiver Kodi Burns said. "There's no arguing, nobody's upset with the offense, nobody's upset with the defense. It's just looking each other in the eye and saying 'Hey, we got this. This is all they got. They're up 24-0. Let's come back, let's go win the game.'"
That's exactly what they did. On the very next drive after Alabama made it 24-0, Cam Newton connected with Emory Blake on a 36-yard touchdown pass to put Auburn on the board. The defense followed with a turnover in the red zone. And just like that, the momentum started to turn.
In the second half, it was all Tigers. Once Newton got going, there was no slowing him down. Drive after drive, the Heisman Trophy winner marched the offense down the field and into the end zone. The Auburn defense more than did their part, shutting down Alabama in the second half. And as the game wore on, the once raucous crowd became quieter and quieter.
When Newton threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen early in the fourth quarter, the only noise in the stadium came from the visiting sideline and visiting fans. The comeback was complete. Down 24-0 earlier in the game, Auburn had taken the lead.
The Tigers never relinquished that lead. The defense got two more stops, Newton took a knee, and the celebration was on. This team had done it again. They were still perfect.
"There's nothing sweeter than winning a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, especially when you have the Auburn 'AU' on your helmet," defensive lineman Nosa Eguae said. "I remember getting that stop after T-Bell's sack and getting that last stop at the end of the game and going to the sideline and just looking at our fans' faces. It brought a lot of joy to my face.
"Being able to celebrate at the end of the game and going into the locker room and just seeing the Auburn faithful all around our buses, those are surreal moments you never forget and you remember for a lifetime."
Impact Player: Cam Newton
In the locker room at halftime, Newton went person to person and challenged them. He knew he had to be better, too. And in the second half, he stepped up and rose to that challenge.
On the second play coming out of the break, Newton hooked up with Terrell Zachery on a 70-yard touchdown pass. Two drives later, it was more methodical, more balanced. Newton threw for 21 yards, rushed for 18 and capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. He followed that with another long drive, finishing it off with the 7-yard touchdown pass to Lutzenkircen to give Auburn the lead.
Was it Newton's most prolific game on the Plains? No. But going against a defense loaded with future NFL players, he still accounted for more than 250 yards and four touchdowns. More importantly, he never gave up. He delivered yet again in the biggest moment of the season.
"Cameron Newton is physically and mentally as tough as I've ever seen," former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said after the game.
Play of the Game: The Lutzie TD + Dance
Facing third-and-4 from Alabama's 7-yard line, Auburn needed the right play call. The Tigers trailed by six, and time was running out. So offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn called Lutzenkirchen's number on the Y delay.
"It was really Coach Chizik's play," Malzahn said. "We'd always kind of talk, share our ideas. What gives you problems? In 2009, he said the Y delay is one of the toughest plays to defend in the red zone. It kind of got to that point. We had it in the red zone. I just turned to Coach Chiz and said, 'We're running your play right here.'"
Newton took the snap and rolled right. Everybody went right except Lutzenkirchen who faked like he was blocking and then released to the left. Newton avoided pressure and then threw back left to Lutzenkirchen who caught it at the goal line and skipped into the end zone.
The skipping celebration would become known as "The Lutzie."
"The dance, that was all Philip. You can't teach that," teammate T'Sharvan Bell said.
"I think it was one of those moments where everything is not going good for us in the first half and you come back in the second half – we come back and take the lead – and when he scored, I think that's the first thing that came to his mind," running back Onterrio McCalebb said.
Key Stat: 67 yards
As much credit as Newton, Lutzenkirchen and the Auburn offense get for the comeback, it never would have been possible without the defense.
In the first half, Alabama had 379 yards of total offense. Guys were missing their gaps. There were communication issues that led to busted coverages. If not for forced fumbles from Antoine Carter and Nick Fairley, the Tide's lead would have been greater going into halftime.
In the second half? Auburn held Alabama to 67 total yards. The Tigers started getting after the quarterback, making key tackles in the open field. It was like a different defense showed up in the final two quarters.
"The funny thing about that game was at halftime we already knew we were going to come back," linebacker Josh Bynes said. "We were in the locker room and we were pissed off, but it wasn't like to the point where we were turning on each other or anything like that. It really turned into us believing in each other because we know what team we're capable of being."
After Auburn took the lead in the fourth quarter, it was the defense who once again made a play. Bell sacked quarterback Greg McElroy on third down to move Alabama out of field-goal range and force a punt. That was as close as the Tide would get to scoring again.
In Their Own Words
"That was a game that will certainly go down in history. It's hard to come back when you're down 24-0. It was something we had done before in terms of having to overcome a lot of adversity. I couldn't be more proud of our coaching staff that made some great adjustments at halftime, both on offense and defense. Players came out and executed. It was a great win for Auburn football and a great win for Auburn University." – Gene Chizik
"It was outstanding. We all stayed together. We just kept on fighting until the last second ticked off the clock." – Zac Etheridge
"What stands out to me the most is when I think about the play Antoine Carter made. I think it was the defensive defining play of the season for us specifically. Him running down the sideline, chasing the Heisman Trophy winner, hitting the ball out of his hands, the ball staying in bounds for 10 yards. That was when it pivoted for us." - Nosa Eguae
"I just remember after the game – Coach Chizik's locker is right beside me – and I'm usually one of those guys that doesn't look ahead and say much, but I just told him, 'Coach, there ain't nobody beating us this year. We're going to win the whole thing.' It was that special feeling where you knew you were part of something special, and this team was not going to lose." - Gus Malzahn